Help with test results please

[AnneEvo]

I started 50mcg levo 4 weeks ago. (I had taken 25mcg last year for a short while, the doctor didn't ask me to come back anytime for blood tests and as I've never felt ill with hypo it was hard to convince myself I needed medication). Had symptoms for 40 years but not diagnosed - I do feel the cold and am more tired now than I've ever been, never wake up feeling refreshed and a bit of brain fog, nowhere near as bad as others have it. Told nurse practitioner I was feeling tired so she ordered a whole raft of blood tests.

From what I've learned on here I think my ferritin is low. How can I raise it? I'm vegetarian.

I'm concerned about serum creatinine as it's slightly above range - under AKI it says 'Consider early repeat' however at top of results it says 'No further action.' Apparantly a study showed a significant increase in creatinine in patients with hypo.

Do I need to worry about high level of B12 - I take methyl B complex.

Blood tests with Medichecks in October last year: TSH was 11.3 (0.27-4.2); Free thyroxine 12.700 (12.00-22.00); Free T3 4.68 (3.10-6.80)

I'm not expecting to get an increase in levo as 3.54 is within 'their' range. So long as I can reduce tiredness and feel more awake in the morning I think that will be ok for me considering lack of other symptoms.

[Caroline888]

Hi AnneEvo,

I too am a vegetarian and need to work at keeping my ferritin at a reasonable level. I regularly drink nettle tea and prune juice, eat dried apricots, a little dark chocolate, black-strap molasses, eggs and beans. Lentils are also a very good source of iron.

I am glad that, although you feel the cold and are often tired, you are not too badly affected by your underactive thyroid. I am the same. I think we are two of the lucky ones!

Hope you manage to improve your energy levels soon.

Best wishes

Caroline

[AnneEvo in reply to Caroline888]

Thanks for that Caroline - we are definitely lucky.

I'm ok with all those things you mentioned (apart from eggs) - I usually have a bit of treacle (blackstrap molasses) most days either with my porridge or if I have a smoothy. I did start getting dark chocolate recently for copper. I need to get some regularly! I also started eating raisins for iron. Is it as simple as eating foods containing iron?

[Caroline888 in reply to AnneEvo]

I don’t know the answer to your question as my ferritin level was really low, though just in range. I have been a vegetarian for nearly 50 years and never had a problem with iron until diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Certainly non-haem iron is not so bioavailable as haem iron. I was advised by my GP that I could take ferrous fumarate 210 mg once a day. I did this for a month but then stopped as I was wary of overdosing. I did a Medichecks blood test three months later and my level had gone up from 33 to 83 which was fine but it may well have dropped by now. I will be doing another blood test soon to check it. Like you, I really don’t like eggs but manage to eat a couple a week. Not great I know. I eat lots of nuts and seeds which also have iron in them. Raisins are good as you say. All dried fruit is good, in fact, as I understand it is dried on iron trays.

If you decide you need to take an iron supplement, it is important to monitor your level as too high a dose is harmful. That is why I will be doing another blood test soon to check it as we need a good level of ferritin in order to properly utilise levothyroxine.

Medichecks do an iron deficiency check which is the one I use.

Hope you stay well.

Best wishes

Caroline

[AnneEvo in reply to Caroline888]

At 92 ug/L (12.0-233.0) it doesn't seem too low to me but if I'm remembering correctly I think on here people usually say it needs to be near the top of the range. I was taking an iron supplement daily as well as vitamin D and selenium. But as I didn't know what my levels were and worrying about overdosing on iron I started taking it and vitamin D a couple of times a week, then stopped altogether. I have started taking them both on alternate days now - I do take selenium daily.

I've got a test kit from Medichecks which I decided to hold onto until I'd got the test results from doctor's surgery. I'll use it in another couple of weeks when I will have been on levo 6 weeks.

Take care.

[Caroline888 in reply to AnneEvo]

My level was 83.8 ug/L (range 13 to 150) when last tested and I was advised by SeasideSusie that a level of at least 70 ug/L (i.e. about half way through range) was optimal for levo to work properly. I do take one of my ferrous fumarate tablets each week because I have them left over and don’t feel one a week can do any harm. That’s why I’m waiting before taking another blood test. I want to see what my current diet plus one tablet achieves - might need to take two tablets a week!😊

I take vitamin C with my one iron tablet and also with iron- rich foods as this is supposed to help with absorption - again SeasideSusie’s advice! Like you, I also have my next Medichecks kit ready to go.😊 I always buy them when they’re on special offer and keep until the time is right to do another check. Thrifty aren’t we!

Take care

Caroline

[AnneEvo in reply to Caroline888]

So my ferritin level isn't too bad.

[Caroline888 in reply to AnneEvo]

Not half way through the range yet, but certainly not bad.

[lucylocks]

Hi

You say you have not felt ill with hypo. but then say you have had symptoms for 40 years, so I am a little confused.

All your symptoms do shout Hypo.

You need to have your bloods rechecked when you have been on the 50mcg. for 8 weeks.

Once on thyroid meds. it is advisable to get your TSH under one and your T4 in the top quarter of the range.

[AnneEvo in reply to lucylocks]

I meant the symptoms I have - feeling cold, tired, not refreshed after sleep, I've had for 40 years. But I don't feel ill.

[Eemmpq]

I would ask to speak to your GP about the EGFR and the creatinine.